Bessy and Doris Gonzales, the conjoined twins from Honduras, experienced dangerous complications Wednesday following the second operation to separate them.
Bessy began bleeding in her brain as a result of high blood pressure. The girls are joined at the tops of their heads.Dr. Marion Walker, who carried out the operation on Tuesday, said the bleeding is difficult to control. The 5-month-old children share much of their blood circulation, so medications used to help Bessy also affect Doris.
"Both girls are in critical condition this morning and physicians are watching them closely, with guarded optimism," said Bonnie Midget, spokeswoman for Primary Children's Medical Center.
The surgery on Tuesday apparently had no complications until Bessy experienced bleeding. During the 91/2-hour operation, Walker separated Doris' right brain hemisphere from Bessy's left hemisphere.
"He also separated a number of blood vessels and divided some shared brain tissue," Midget said.